Dawn
by Neechi
Summary: Juvenile Orion Destiny. Fate. Heaven. Hell. With the shadows of time whispering in their ears and the hope of heaven kissing their hearts, they’ll find everything they’ve been looking for. And maybe… maybe something more. Warnings:mm, ff
1. First

_**Dawn**_

Neechi

(( Juvenile Orion ))

**Disclaimer:** Not mine! The books say they belong to BROCCOLI and Marekatsu Nakai and Sakurako Gokurakuin... but that's only the artist, methinks. Dies

**Warnings:** Shonen-ai; yaoi' m/m slash; f/f slash (Shoujo-ai; Yuri). Yay. Get the gist of it yet? Don't like it, don't read it. Unless, of course, you're being open-minded. I don't know why you'd want to read _this_ if you're being open minded... I'd imagine you'd rather want something else, yeah? Anywho. I really, really hope you're reading this rant- it's not that long. Besides, if you _don't_ like slash and you're _ignoring_ this, then that makes you a froth, I suppose? Not one to read the directions before starting the test?

**Author's Note:** That was basically the warning, but I'll just say that Juvenile Orion is sooooo cute! Go! Go! Go! **Alternate Universe**, by the way. You'll probably find a lot of similarities. (Like the names... har har... Gods, I suck at jokes dies ) I'm writing this when I only have the first four books and absolutely no online research on the series. So... things'll be _very _twisted around, right? **I don't use very many Japanese words because it just doesn't sound right after a while. Sometimes I will, sometimes I won't. **You'll see.

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**Summary**: Destiny. Fate. Heaven. Hell. With the shadows of time whispering in their ears and the hope of heaven kissing their hearts, they'll find everything they've been looking for. And maybe... maybe something more. ( Juvenile Orion )

_"Murderer!" _

_"Go away!"_

_"We don't want your kind here!"_

_"Freak!"_

_"You're a pest!"_

_"Go die!"_

_Words. Words, echoing in her mind. Haunting. Surrounding her, unable to escape from anything. From the darkness that she embraces as it crushes her soul into nothing. Her unemotional box of jumbled mess. _

_"Master..." Someone strong. Someone to hold on to. Someone to let in. To let past the mask that doesn't really exist. _

_Her small, frail body, starving from the lack of diet, stretched its long, thin, frail and chalk white arms up and around his neck, bringing him down close to her body. Tears that were imagined streamed down her cheeks, and she listened to the world from the safety of her soldier's arms. _

_"She's so innocent." Was that her voice? Was Master's voice like that? _They_ hated that voice. "So pretty." Look up into his strong, handsome face. "I want her." _

_"Master," he nodded, and the other four agreed. They could do no more than agree, to their Master's wish. To their Master's will. _

_"So innocent..." Jealousy. Rising up, ready to strike at her throat and destroy her. So she would destroy _it_, first. Smothering the feeling with her emotion of _nothing_, Master cradled herself closer to her Soldier, to her Kuga. _

_But why would Master want something so innocent? Because this Innocent is the most innocent of them all. She's so wanted. Everyone loves her. But she's not like the others, the others that know what they are. She's not a Princess yet. She's just special. She's the rose obscured by thorns and leaves, guarding her from the dirtiness outside. _

_She's perfect. _

_She could be Master's friend. She could _understand_ Master. _

_But in order to obtain that rose, Master has to clean away the dirt that surrounds her. A simple task... so long as her Soldiers do not fail her. She could feel them, there with her. In her heart, she could feel Kuga's as the closest... and the other four surrounding her at an equal distance. Always within reach. _

_She could be Master's friend. _

---!---

Rain. Falling. Always falling, it seemed. Even though it had started again merely that early morning.

_'Naoya.'_

The mud slopped up to his calves, his arms wrapped around his body as he slumped over, shielding what he could from the rain and harsh wind. Suddenly, he heard the sounds of wheels rolling through the mush, of hooves sloshing and stomping through them, and the creaking of the framework.

He looked up. Dusty blonde hair matted to his face, dark brown eyes that changed to gold in the sunlight meeting dark, midnight black. He stopped walking, while the band of travelers- gypsies, no doubt, kept moving. The midnight black belonged to a rain-soaked boy with equally dark hair... who carried a wooden pole of some sort in one hand while he walked with the leading cart. They were within arms reach, now. The boy stopped, tapped the side of the wagon several times.

"Kaname?" an old woman poked her head out, a thick blanket covering her head. The walking midnight nodded once towards Naoya, and the woman looked at him. "He's freezing."

Well, duh.

"We're not too far, now. Hop in, boy. You'll pay us later."

With what?

---!---

Sunlight streamed down from the sky, filtering through the sepia branches leaves and caressing the young girl napping on the grass beneath it. From another point of view, one would see her curled up against the base of the tree. Its branches rose up to arch over her, a protective bubble, and leaves angling themselves perfectly to shield her sensitive skin from the sun's UV rays. It was as if the tree had just been _waiting_ for the opportunity to arch over her. To protect her during the day as she rested her body and mind.

Her name was Mana. Mana Kirihara, and she didn't know she was a Mind Breaker.

Mind Breaker's were; to say the least, dangerous. But if you found _yours_; the one _you_ were compatible with- the one Destiny had chosen just for you; your Mind Breaker was wonderful and a Heaven on Earth. He, or she, was your Master. 'Master' knew what you were feeling, what you were thinking.

Master knew _you_.

Wind blew past the girl, rising up a hill and then falling back down into the village below it. A woman who hid her pain from the world unsuccessfully scrambled up the slope, a basket of treats in her arms and a blanket slung over her shoulder. Beneath her calm exterior, she awaited the final Fate of her day, and her sister waited with her. Watched. Waited. Ever so patient. _What does Destiny want with me?_

"Mana!" the woman cried, plastering a cheerful smile onto her face, "Mana! Wake up, sweetheart. Naptime's over."

"Mm?" Slowly, Mana opened her eyes and tossed her body to look towards the one calling her. Kind eyes. Light hair. _Joy that never disappeared._

Mother.

"You were supposed to be back at noon, Mana," Nana mock-scolded, dropping the blanket onto the grass and sitting on it. "I brought you a snack. After that you'll have to go home and help make some gifts for the Gypsies that are coming later."

"Mm..." Mana reached for a bright green apple, her fingers curling around it and the hunger trapped in her stomach becoming very, very obvious.

"Do you remember them? The Gypsies, I mean."

"Uh-huh," Mana bit into it; the crisp _crunch_ mixing in with the sound of the wind and the trees and the creatures all around. "About eight years ago, right? You said something about Gypsies only visiting us every once in a while."

"Every eight years."

"-And there's a whole bunch of different ones, too, right? So you'll only see the same people every eight years... Right, Mom?"

"Yes, that's right. I'm glad you remembered." Her eyes slid towards the village, her lids lowered and she examined her knuckles. "Mana... I..."

A bell, loud and echoing, rang. Alert, Mana leapt to her feet before her mother could finish what she was saying. "Bye, Mom! Gotta go! They want a feast for dinner, right?!"

"Mana!" a hand reaching for her daughter, fading in the light and turning transparent. She could see her daughter _through_ her hand! Flickered back to normal. _Ignore it!_ "_Mana!_"

"Love you, Mom!" a quick spin, a wave, and her daughter disappeared over the hill.

Pained eyes, the mask dropping. Tears falling into the grass and soaking into the spongy, grassy earth below her. "...Mana. I'm sorry."

Because no one can defy Fate.

No one can resist Destiny.

Even though they try their hardest.

**End Chapter One **

****

**1:** _"From the darkness that she embraces as it crushes her soul into nothing. Her unemotional box of jumbled mess."_ She wants the nothing, and if she can't feel the 'mess' of emotions (hence the unemotional), she can't be hurt.

**2:** _"To let past the mask that doesn't really exist."_ It's a mask; something to hide behind. But it's not really a mask because she's only hiding from herself. Really, it doesn't make too much sense unless you know what I'm talking about. There's a whole bunch of detail that doesn't fit into words... but it's still pretty, right?

**3:** "...hid her pain from the world unsuccessfully..." A jumbled thought, I know. But it can be taken in two different ways- first, unsuccessfully raising a mask to hide her pain from the world. Second, she was stumbling up the hill- scrambling!

**A/N:** I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, though, ne? Whoa-ho-ho! (Reminds me of Wakka.) 'Nana' is what Mana's dad calls Mana's mom in the third book, when they revisit their memories.

Now, the plotline is really, really boring. But the art is pretty. And the overall story is awesome... the details just suck. ;;; Just my opinion; it's still grand, though, ne? Oh!

_If you review, I'll post comments! Yai! Comments! _


	2. Second

_**Dawn**_

_Neechi_

(( Juvenile Orion ))

**Disclaimer**: Not mine! The books say they belong to BROCCOLI and Marekatsu Nakai and Sakurako Gokurakuin… but that's only the artist… Yes.

**Warnings**: Shonen-ai; yaoi; m/m slash; f/f slash (Shoujo-ai; Yuri).

**Author's note:** I love the name Kaoru, and that girl just doesn't hold up to my standards. I don't have anything against any of the characters… except for Mana. No offense, but she's really too goody-goody for me. But I won't waste my time bashing her, because she's an important character and I do so try to keep it that way in this fanfiction, too. I won't use a lot of Japanese words; they don't flow with the story. People who can work them in; I congratulate you. And I'm sorry for my laziness. But I really hate scrolling down to the end of the page to know what people are talking about.

* * *

Summary: _Destiny. Fate. Heaven. Hell. With the shadows of time whispering in their ears and the hope of heaven kissing their hearts, they'll find everything they've been looking for. And maybe… maybe something more._ (Juvenile Orion)

* * *

_"You know, if you keep doing that, you'll wear yourself down."_

_"I have to get this done. I have to finish this, it's important."_

_"… You won't be able to, if you don't get some rest." A kind smile, "Why don't you get some rest, little brother." He looked up at her; her arms were folded behind her back and the dawn light filtering through the windows made her seem more fragile than she was. _

**But then he remembered that she wasn't really there. **

Naoya woke up startled, the morning light was harsh against his eyes, and he winced and rubbed the pain away.

"Bad dream?" someone asked, and he looked towards the voice. The old woman sat in a pile of pillows- all ridiculously gaudy and bold and highlighted with gold thread and sequins. "I know what it's like to have those. Come, boy, sit and I'll show you something worth your while."

"Okay," he replied, and soon he was sitting next to her on her pile of showy cushions, staring in wonder at the beaded headdress in her old, wrinkled raisin-hands.

"This," she stated with pride, "is new."

Well, that's wonderful. How is this worth my while?

"It's beautiful," Naoya smiled politely, remembering that these people were helping him and he had to get out of paying them back. "Did you make it?"

"Yes," she said with the same pride, "An' it's like a rainbow. I'll show you." She turned and opened a hole in the wall, and more light spilled through at another angle. She was right. It was iridescent with color, flitting from color to color and shimmering on the ground and the ceiling and their clothes like a sun catcher.

Naoya's mouth opened in wonder, and he stared, rather stupefied, at the object as he let himself be forgotten for a moment.

A grand moment in which someone had to ever so rudely ruin.

"If you don't put that away, Grandmother," came a smirking voice, "He'll drool all over it." His eyes snapped up to the person who had spoken- and it turned out to be a girl with raven black hair and gentle brown eyes.

"I trust him, this one," the old woman put an arm around his shoulders, tugging him closer with her surprisingly strong grip, "Now, why don't you go an' start breakfast," the girl left, and the old woman handed him the headdress, "We'll be arriving at the next village in a few days, boy. Why don't you stay out of our way and think of some way to repay our hospitality?" Her eyes glinted, and he had the sneaking suspicion that she expected gold as some sort of payment.

Like he had that.

* * *

There were days that she wished she hadn't been born. Not very many, mind you, but sometimes, quite rarely, she would look around her world and wonder what the point of it was. Mana Kirihara didn't know what she was working towards, she didn't know many things, having lived in such a closed area, and her mother hadn't spoken much about _it._

And so the village grieved when the beautiful woman followed her husband in a long-awaited trip into the "afterlife", but none so dreadfully as Mana.

So she wore her mask, smiling and forcing her eyes to sparkle. If you looked close enough, though, you could see the falseness behind that shimmer, behind the glorious smile and happily flushed cheeks. Mana learned very quickly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do something she had no recollection of doing before.

The village was concerned.

Soon, though, the village was busy setting up and putting together the sets and booths and tables and spare rooms (if needed) for their guests. Builders were busy building while the cooks and bakers were busy in the kitchens, preparing the food. Children were sent out with daisies to collect nothings and decorations for the tabletops. They forgot death.

Because sometimes it's easier to forget.

* * *

Several days later, the caravan arrived. The gypsies poured out of the wagons and within very little time it seemed as if they had been living in the village for all their lives. But then again, being nomadic tends to make one comfortable with such things. Kaname had done as he usually did when forced to live in villages for however long the troupe was staying- he slunk off to be by himself.

"Naoya," the old woman (what was her name?) squawked, "Naoya! Get over here!"

Sighing, Naoya set the pots he had been carrying on the ground and trotted over to her. She was sitting on a wooden stool with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders. "Yes?" he asked, trying to be on his best behavior. They were, technically, still "caring" for him.

"Sit down, boyo," he eyed her before crouching on the dirt in front of her. She held out her hand, and he stared at the headdress.

_Lavender, rose, moss green, deep violet, royal blue, white, garnet…_

Suddenly he was staring at colors upon colors upon colors, unable to tear his gaze. His mind was caught in them, and there was nothing to know except _color, color, color_.

"Take it," the words didn't seem to come from anywhere, he just _knew_ them. Slowly, in his daze, he watched his hand reach out and touch them.

And then he was staring at them while they were in his hand, and he didn't know what to do. They were so beautiful, they belonged on someone beautiful.

"Ah! _Rom Daj_!" a girl's voice laughed, and Naoya looked up, pulled out of his reverie. "_Rom Daj_, I'm so glad you're here!" The girl gave the older (larger) woman a hug, and for the first time Naoya watched _'Rom Daj'_ smile, delighted. 1

"Well, well, little Mana, is it? My, you've grown," the patted the girls arms, "Mana, I'd like you to meet Naoya," she tossed her head towards him, "Naoya, this is Mana, she's a-"

_Strong._

"-wonderful girl here. Why don't you two go play, hm?"

Mana took his hand in hers, and all he saw was white…

"What happened?" Kaname asked as he leaned against the doorway entrance, looking as nonchalant as he felt.

"I don't know," the girl sobbed as she wrung her hands in her skirt, "I don't know, I don't know! One minute I was holding his hand and the next…" She shuddered and inhaled the tears, doing her best to "stay strong".

Right. Great. Some little sniveling girl is sobbing over what she isn't even sure happened and he's stuck with her. But…

Kaname stood and slowly walked over to her, hesitant. _Why do I want to…?_ She didn't notice him, too busy staring at the sleeping face. He stopped right behind her, staring down at the nape of her neck. _She's delicate._

And then he was slowly encircling her with his arms as he crouched down lower to her level, leaning his head against her shoulder.

"He'll be fine, stop worrying."

She sniffled and turned her head to look at him, but all she could see was midnight-colored hair.

**End Chapter Two **

* * *

**1 _Rom Daj_ :** "Rom" means "man" and "Daj" means "mother". I didn't really think there was a "proper title" for her so I made one. I was going for something along the lines of 'The mother of men' or something. That sound really crappy. …Anyway, she's basically the head of the clan, and usually that's associated with men yadda, yadda, yadda. 


	3. Third

_**Dawn**_

_Neechi_

(( Juvenile Orion ))

**Disclaimer**: Not mine! The books say they belong to BROCCOLI and Marekatsu Nakai and Sakurako Gokurakuin… but that's only the artist… Yes.

**Warnings**: Shonen-ai; yaoi; m/m slash; f/f slash (Shoujo-ai; Yuri).

**Author's note:** I really do apologize for my hideous writing skills. I'm working on them, and eventually I'll re-work every chapter. I won't use a lot of Japanese words; they don't flow with the story. People who can work them in; I congratulate you. And I'm sorry for my laziness. But I really hate scrolling down to the end of the page to know what people are talking about.

* * *

Summary: _Destiny. Fate. Heaven. Hell. With the shadows of time whispering in their ears and the hope of heaven kissing their hearts, they'll find everything they've been looking for. And maybe… maybe something more._ (Juvenile Orion)

* * *

Sometimes he hated himself. He felt worthless, small, as if nothing he ever did could ever create an impact upon the rest of the world. His sister was in a supernatural coma, her body barely functioning enough to keep her well fed and physically strong enough to move. Motor functions were about all her body could do. 

According to his mother, he was worthless and only lived because he was a slightly valuable asset to the clan. According to his mother, the only girl he'd ever cared for hated him. But in his dreams, _she loved him. _

_Haruna._ He sighed mentally, and let himself drift back into unconsciousness.

'_Wake up.' _Startled by the soundless voice, Naoya's eyes snapped open.

He stared at the ceiling.

* * *

Mana tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before continuing to peel the apple in her hand. After peeling everything in the bucket to her left she would slice the apples and stuff them into the pie crust. Of course, thinking these thoughts into her mind didn't distract her from the pair of golden eyes watching her from behind. _His_ eyes. 

Straining to ignore the youth casually leaning against the rickety kitchen table, Mana extended her world to include the muffled sounds from outside. Someone was chopping wood, the children were laughing and giggling and just listen to all of those moving feet! A bird is singing; listen, another answers! There's a light breeze, obvious from the gentle tinkling of the glass sun catcher hung outside the front door…

_"For good luck, Mana," her mother smiled down at her and Mana looked back up with fascination. "It's so pretty, look at the rainbows it makes! Don't you think that's lucky?" _

Mana laughed and agreed, absolutely delighted with this newfound wonder in her small, child-world.

"What's wrong?" Kaname's harsh and gentle words, how odd they could be both simultaneously, broke through her reverie and Mana realized she was sobbing. Her cheeks were warm and damp, the salty tears dripping down onto her hands that were resting on the cutting board.

"N-nothing," she muttered, not at all liking the way her voice trembled. She slowly pushed the knife and apple onto a level surface. If she didn't let go of them, she might hurt herself; and then she'd bleed, and cry more.

"…I don't believe you," Kaname replied. "I've known you, Kirihara, since you were four years old. Don't think I can't tell when you're falling apart."

"I'm not…" she leaned against the counter for support, "…falling apart. I… I just…" Words failed her, and so she swallowed her sobs and let the tears she couldn't stop trail down her cheeks as she listened to the silence that had replaced her broken denial.

A gust of wind pushed through the gentle breeze, and the glass clattered together to make music.

"I know your mother died."

_Open eyes. Dead eyes. Gentle and brown and such a horrifying compliment to the sticky, drying blood covering her mother's carcass._

The arms supporting her weight failed, and Mana collapsed to the ground. Footsteps. She sobbed, almost open keening now.

"Why is she crying?" the previously unconscious boy demanded.

"Her mother died."

The boy didn't reply, and if he did Mana was too busy trying to get herself back under control to care.

* * *

If there's one thing he hated, it was crying. _He _didn't cry because he felt too self-pitying when he did. And she was _sobbing into him_, for fuck's sake! His shirt was getting _very_ wet and he knew he'd probably want to change into another after he dragged what's-his-name out of here. Fuck. And the bastard was just _standing there_, watching. 

But then he moves, and Kaname caught himself as he tensed. Crouching down next to Kaname, what's-his-name grinned cockily at Mana.

"It's not like she'd be telling you to cry because she died, is it?" _Great_, he mentally sighed as she shook her head against his stomach, rubbing the damp spots against his skin. "And I see you've started on a pie…" what's-his-name's voice trailed off, the arrogant tone in his voice enough to repulse the other male.

And then he a hand was on the back of his neck, and little sparks shuddered through Kaname's system. Mana sat up and wiped her tears, smiling at him. _Shit, now she likes him. Which means she's going to want us all to be happy, lovey-dovey friends all the goddamn time._ _Fuck_.

Before she can embrace him, though, he stands. "I'm gonna' drag Kaname," W_ow, he actually knows my name_, "…out of here to get some fresh air and resist 'sampling' anything you bake." Which would give her alone time to think and be comfortable before she had to join the masses of people outside. Clever.

"All right," Mana pulled Kaname to his feet and kissed his cheek, "Have fun! I'll let you boys have the first sample of my pie, I promise!" She giggled and shoved them out the door, and Naoya grinned at Kaname again.

"Aren' t you glad you're out of there?"

"…Shut up."

Naoya walked away, and Kaname followed. They wound their way around camp, sometimes helping drag water here or hold this while someone else did that, and Naoya talked his ass off.

"There's a legend," Naoya said after a more than welcome seven minutes of silence.

When he didn't say anything more, Kaname looked at him, "Is there anything more to that thought? Or did you just decide to say it?"

"I was thinking about it, you idiot," Naoya retorted, and he continued walking in silence.

Shrugging, Kaname watched Naoya as he stayed close to the trees alongside the left of the path. _Weird_, he thought, but the words that would have followed were interrupted by a shout.

"-name-kun! Over here! They're going to dance! Come on!"

"We're coming!" Naoya yelled back, waving.

* * *

_The energy stood before him, an intricate pattern lay out in the mirror floating in the gray abyss. A flicker of lavender light caught his attention, and watched (once again amazed) as his sister appeared as the energy swirled to create her form. _

_'Hello, little brother," she smiled as only she could, and Naoya was hit with the fierce determination to pull her out of the coma. 'I see you've met some interesting people.'_

_"Only two or three," he replied, "Nothing special."_

_She smiled, and looked at the mirror. 'Something is obscuring your vision, protecting something. Does this shield know?'_

_"I don't know."_

_'Ah,' she looked back, and with a swipe of her hand some of the lines and swirls of the pattern disappeared, leaving in its wake a dark energy half-obscuring a lighter one. Haruna watched him for a moment as he studied it, doing his best to keep his expression blank._

_'Do you know who they are?'_

_"…Yes." And he knew what to do, too._

_'All right,' she smiled at him, then bit her lip in slight worry, 'Hurry, Naoya. I have seen much.'_

_And with a shimmering lavender glow encompassing her, she disappeared. _

"…Mind Breaker…" the words whispered out between his lips, and Naoya Itsuki set his hardest glare upon the pastel colors, a sick grin teasing his lips.

**End Chapter Three

* * *

**

Wow, I don't think any notes are necessary this time. D Unfortunately, though, I should mention or re-mention that the actual, _original_ chapters 3 through 5 were lost. So it's a pain in the ass to try to re-remember everything. I do remember that I promised to answer/reply/recognize reviews, so here I go!

**Reviews:**

_Thanks to mentaru, Suicidal Skies, Mistress of Azure, tangled-wires-of-doom, and BlackMercifulFaerie for reviewing._

**mentaru:** I'm trying to let the fall-hopelessly-in-love thing happen gradually… sort of. I'm glad you like the plot, it's a challenging one.

**Suicidal Skies:** XD Oki doke!

**Mistress of Azure:** Thank you. See? I did it!

**tangled-wires-of-doom:** Don't worry about the confusing beginning… A lot of my stories start out confusing. I, however, understand it perfectly. (Being the author, I should hope I do.) The first half in italics is Kaoru (I completely adore her name) talking about wanting a friend, like she does in the books. The second half is Naoya wandering the roads and running into Kaname and his little family-doodad and getting a ride. Because they have to meet first, seeing as how I plan for them to be the main pairing.

BlackMercifulFaerie: I edited stuff, which is why it said that I had updated. XD And now I've updated. Woot!

_Thanks for all your support. ----Nee----_


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